Courses and training

We offer online, and blended courses for education professionals to help you understand the implications of visual impairment for teaching and learning. The courses seek to challenge you to consider your current practice, share and develop this with others in the field, and apply your new understanding to your working context.

Partners in Learning (blended course)

The Partners in Learning course developed in conjunction with the Open University, can provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide a high level of education for the learners with whom you work.

In recognition of its excellence, several local authorities have made Partners in Learning a mandatory qualification for teaching assistants employed in their visual impairment support services.

The course, which is accredited as a BTEC advanced certificate at level 3, is the only UK-wide accredited training designed for education support staff working with blind and partially sighted learners.

It uses a blended learning approach of online study and discussion activities, and includes two face-to-face training days.

Understanding visual impairment in children and young people (online course)

It is designed to support the training needs of professionals and parents in order to improve the quality of learning opportunities available to children and young people with visual impairment.

You will receive ‘light touch’ tutorial support, and do not need to be working with blind or partially sighted learners to complete the course.

The content is drawn mainly from existing material used in RNIB’s accredited level 3 BTEC ‘Partners in Learning’ course. It is intended for people who wish to gain an overview of the issues without studying in the depth required by Partners in Learning.

The effective teaching of literacy through braille has been designed to provide specialist training in how to teach literacy through braille. It is suitable for all teachers of children with vision impairment, including those in training for the Mandatory Qualification or waiting to start the MQ course.

It has been written by nationally recognised practitioners in braille and created as an online course by an experienced instructional designer.

The course involves around 80 hours of study time and is organised according to a structured timetable.